Almost, But Not Quite [Damien Haas]

10. _ | Bravery

Hi, guys! How are you doing?

First of all, another milestone: thank you for 300+ reads! Extremely, extremely grateful as always.

As you may know, if you're, like, following me, I had decided to put T3LOM on hold for the meantime in order to focus on this book. Thankfully, this book is 10-15 chapters away from the ending, and since I update daily, basically T3LOM is on hold for only a couple of weeks.

Anyway, we should proceed. You're probably wondering what's gonna happen next. Jade's POV, and see ya!

-/-/-

Back in San Francisco, my lullabies were hearing my parents argue about where I should go for college. Their daughter, the straight-A student since kindergarten, wasn't going to be a nobody. They wanted to make themselves prouder than I made them proud, and so passing Cornell was the best news they ever received. Unfortunately, I decided against going there because it was across the country and they needed me. In short, I had gotten used to their arguments about my future, and they fueled me to become the anchorwoman I am now.

But this one argument I had with Damien, it shook me to my very core. When he walked away without saying another word, I kept blaming myself for shouting at him when I didn't even have the right to be angry, more so jealous. All the bad things I should have felt when I listened to my parents argue about my future made their way here and made me sick to my stomach for having said the words I never could have said to my parents. Having said them to Damien and not meaning them, easily a double kill.

"Are you okay?" Lily asks me as I enter the controls room. "You look pale."

"I'm fine," I tell her, helping out with the lighting effects. "Just a little misunderstanding."

"You guys will clear it out later?"

"I'd rather not clear anything tonight."

She rubs my back, making me sigh. She then says, "If there's anything I can do to help, just let me know, okay? Love you, Jadey."

"Love you too," I mumble.

It was a Saturday today, and I didn't really have to go to work because the weekend crew took their spots, but I had to get my mind off what had happened last night. That's what I had always done since I was a kid, distracting myself so that I don't think bad things, even though these distractions may be crucially harmful to my deteriorating mental health. But somehow, Damien came here in hopes of seeing me, even though he could have just waited for me to come home. I didn't have plans though, because another reason why I wanted to take the work for today is because I wanted to go home to San Francisco. I needed to see my brothers again and explain to my overly worried parents why I suddenly texted them emotional things.

Return to LA by Tuesday morning. That was the plan, and then back to the original schedule. I also wanted them to meet the dogs, but other than that, I needed to get away from Damien. I needed some time. But now that he actually came by, I don't know what to do, so I ask for advice.

From: SixthBennetSister28
Good afternoon, Mr. Protocol. Just wondering: what would you do if someone you love but needed to get away from comes knocking at your door? You may be busy at work, so feel free to reply anytime later. Take care!

I needed that advice, but I could wait. I started to get my makeup for the evening broadcast, which I wasn't planning on doing but did anyway for extra pay. As soon as I sit beside Brian, I flip my phone on the table downwards so as not to attract attention to the viewers.

"So that boy came around today?" Brian asks me as he sips from his mug of coffee. "I gotta give it to him; pretty bold move for him to charge up to you."